How do I reinstall Ubuntu Software in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS version?

Question

Recently, I completely erased the old disk data and installed the 20.04 LTS version of Ubuntu. However, Ubuntu software is not working properly. Also I can't even install the software. Please refer to the following: Why don't appear categories items in Ubuntu Software?

Therefore, I tried to reinstall the Ubuntu software by referring to the following documents, but the following error occurred:

Hit:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease              
Hit:2 http://kr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease                     
Get:3 http://kr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates InRelease [89.1 kB]
Hit:4 http://kr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports InRelease
Get:5 http://kr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main i386 Packages [648 B]
Get:6 http://kr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main amd64 Packages [2,000 B]
Fetched 91.8 kB in 2s (44.6 kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Package software-center is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source

E: Package 'software-center' has no installation candidate

+ Update-1

The installed pkgs:

ii  appstream                                  0.12.10-2                             amd64        Software component metadata management
ii  brltty                                     6.0+dfsg-4ubuntu6                     amd64        Access software for a blind person using a braille display
ii  docbook-xml                                4.5-9                                 all          standard XML documentation system for software and systems
ii  espeak-ng-data:amd64                       1.50+dfsg-6                           amd64        Multi-lingual software speech synthesizer: speech data files
ii  gnome-software                             3.36.0-0ubuntu3                       amd64        Software Center for GNOME
ii  gnome-software-common                      3.36.0-0ubuntu3                       all          Software Center for GNOME (common files)
ii  gnome-software-plugin-snap                 3.36.0-0ubuntu3                       amd64        Snap support for GNOME Software
ii  libdv4:amd64                               1.0.0-12                              amd64        software library for DV format digital video (runtime lib)
ii  libespeak-ng1:amd64                        1.50+dfsg-6                           amd64        Multi-lingual software speech synthesizer: shared library
ii  libqpdf26:amd64                            9.1.1-1build1                         amd64        runtime library for PDF transformation/inspection software
ii  libtss2-esys0                              2.3.2-1                               amd64        TPM2 Software stack library - TSS and TCTI libraries
ii  python3-software-properties                0.98.9                                all          manage the repositories that you install software from
ii  software-properties-common                 0.98.9                                all          manage the repositories that you install software from (common)
ii  software-properties-gtk                    0.98.9                                all          manage the repositories that you install software from (gtk)
ii  xbrlapi                                    6.0+dfsg-4ubuntu6                     amd64        Access software for a blind person using a braille display - xbrlapi

+Update-2

Snap-list:

Name               Version                     Rev   Tracking         Publisher     Notes
chromium           81.0.4044.122               1123  latest/stable    canonical✓    -
core18             20200311                    1705  latest/stable    canonical✓    base
gimp               2.10.18                     252   latest/stable    snapcrafters  -
gnome-3-28-1804    3.28.0-16-g27c9498.27c9498  116   latest/stable    canonical✓    -
gnome-3-34-1804    0+git.2c86692               27    latest/stable/…  canonical✓    -
gtk-common-themes  0.1-36-gc75f853             1506  latest/stable/…  canonical✓    -
libreoffice        6.4.3.2                     177   latest/stable    canonical✓    -
snap-store         3.36.0-74-ga164ec9          433   latest/stable/…  canonical✓    -
snapd              2.44.3                      7264  latest/stable    canonical✓    snapd

Solution 1

Install

You can install Ubuntu Software like so:

sudo apt install ubuntu-software

or install Gnome Software in newer releases of Ubuntu like so:

sudo apt install gnome-software

Reinstall

You can reinstall Ubuntu Software like so:

sudo apt install --reinstall ubuntu-software

or reinstall Gnome Software in newer releases of Ubuntu like so:

sudo apt install --reinstall gnome-software

Reset

You can reset Ubuntu Software to its vanilla settings.

First, purge it like so:

sudo apt purge ubuntu-software

Then, install it like so:

sudo apt install ubuntu-software

or reset Gnome Software in newer releases of Ubuntu.

First, purge it like so:

sudo apt purge gnome-software

Then, install it like so:

sudo apt install gnome-software

---

Notice

You can remove Snap Store that might be already installed ( although I recommend you leave it ) like so:

sudo snap remove snap-store

and you can install Snap Store again like so:

sudo snap install snap-store

Solution 2

I heard they switched to snap store. You may try either of the two.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gnome-software

OR

sudo apt-get update
sudo snap install snap-store

Solution 3

You can try looking at the snap store website and downloading the store from there snap store

Comments

[bakuiseok]

A new software center is installed without replacing the existing Ubuntu software. I want to completely remove the existing Ubuntu software because it does not work properly.

[Raffa]

@bakuiseok Run dpkg -l | grep -i "software" to find the old Ubuntu software and remove it if you wish. Or you leave both installed and use the new one

[bakuiseok]

I don't find the Ubuntu Software there. I was removed "gnome-software-common" and "gnome-software", the first is removed as properly but second isn't removed. So, I can't removed Ubuntu Software as origin. Please see updated the post.

[bakuiseok]

There're not available install "snap-store", Is installed before, please trying check this again. See output: snap "snap-store" is already installed, see 'snap help refresh'

[Raffa]

@bakuiseok sudo apt remove --purge ubuntu-software then sudo apt install ubuntu-software

[Raffa]

@bakuiseok If the above does not solve it. Please add the output of snap list to your question. It could be that what you are seeing is snap-store which is a different application

[bakuiseok]

Package 'ubuntu-software' is not installed, so not removed.

[bakuiseok]

Thanks for your kind. I updated them.

[Raffa]

@bakuiseok From the output you added, the other one you are referring to is the snap-store application. So just install Ubuntu software with sudo apt install ubuntu-software and if you want to remove the snap-store ( although I recommend you leave it ) you can do so by running sudo snap remove snap-store

[Black Chase]

I checked again, my ubuntu 20.04 has gnome-software, rather than ubuntu-software. You might have it too, to run it open a terminal and then type gnome-software. if you don't have it try: sudo apt-get update and then sudo apt-get install gnome-software